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Saturday, February 28, 2015

WILD HORSES
(Montana Hamiltons series, book #1)by B. J. Daniels

HQN Books; February 24, 2015

It took only one impusive moment on an empty two-lane highway to cost her everything.

A man's responsible for his own prosperity—especially if he's Cooper Burnett, the most determined cowboy in the West. No one knows what he sacrificed to claim a piece of Beartooth, Montana, for himself and his beautiful fiancée, Livie. No one knows what he's willing to do for love…until a stranger's twisted vendetta threatens the happy ending they should've had long ago.

One fateful mistake isn't the only secret Livie Hamilton is keeping from her fiancé. Victimized during a treacherous blizzard by a man she thought she could trust, she's pregnant…but unsure who the father is. With an unknown blackmailer threatening to expose her, she must confess to Cooper and trust he'll still protect her. But when the truth falls into place, she may lose the only man she's ever loved—or worse.

Prologue

January 21
Life changed in an instant. Olivia Hamilton knew that only too well. One
minute her mother had been alive. The next gone.
Tonight, one minute Montana’s night sky had been clear, the next she found
herself in the middle of nowhere in a blizzard – fighting to stay on the two-lane
highway. Livie had driven in her fair share of winter storms, but this one was
getting worse by the moment. She couldn’t see more than a few yards ahead of her
through the driving snow. Add to that, she didn’t know the road or even exactly
where she was.
All she knew for sure was that she was stopping at the next small Montana
town and getting a motel for the night. She’d call home so her family didn’t worry.
As for calling Cooper Barnett…
Just the thought of her fiancé made her grit her teeth. If the man wasn’t so
blamed stubborn they would have been married by now and she wouldn’t have
taken off after their latest fight and ended up on this road alone in the middle of
Montana with the temperature dropping and—
The highway disappeared so quickly that she didn’t have time to react.
Through the windshield all she saw was blowing snow as the SUV suddenly
jerked to the right. The tires caught in the deep snow along the edge of the
highway. In a heartbeat, the SUV plunged into the ditch. Snow washed over the
hood and windshield. Her head slammed into the side window an instant before the
airbag exploded in her face. Then everything stopped.
Livie sat for a moment, too stunned to move. She was still gripping the
steering wheel, her knuckles white. It had all happened so quickly that she hadn’t
had time to panic. Now though, she began to shake, tears burning her eyes as she
realized the desperate situation she’d put herself in. She could feel freezing cold air
coming in around the cracks in the door.
Cooper had begged her not to travel because the weatherman was calling for
a winter storm. But she’d been too angry with him to listen. All these had thought
about was distancing herself from him by going to her friend’s in Great Falls.
Anyway, the weather had been fine so she’d thought she could beat the storm. That
was why she’d taken the shortcut.
The storm had blown in out of nowhere. One moment it was just a few
snowflakes. The next, she couldn’t see the highway. She’d thought about turning
around, but it was as bad behind her as it was ahead so she’d kept going. For the
past twenty miles or so, she hadn’t even seen another car on the highway. For all
she knew the road had now closed to all but emergency traffic.
Her situation was dire enough without carbon monoxide poisoning from the
engine, she realized with a start, and quickly killed the engine. With the SUVs
tailpipe would be deep in the snow, it wouldn’t take long to gas herself.
A deathly silence fell over the car as her considered what to do. The car was
buried in snow in the ditch miles from anywhere. She’d always been told to stay
with her vehicle, but she could feel the temperature dropping and she’d foolish left
in such a hurry from home that she hadn’t taken her usual precautions. She’d
brought no sleeping bag or water or anything to eat and right now she had no idea
how long it would be before anyone found her.
She felt something run down the side of her face. In the lights from the
dashboard she glanced in her rearview mirror and saw that she was bleeding from a
cut over her left eye where she’d smacked her head on the side window.
But it was what else she saw in the mirror that sent her pulse hammering.
A single set of headlights appeared in a blur out of the storm.
She tried to open her door. If she could get out and flag the person down…
Her door wouldn’t open because of the snow packed around it.
Near panic, knowing that the driver of this car might be her only chance at
survival tonight, she shoved as hard as she could. But the door wouldn’t budge.
The lights were growing closer.
What if the driver didn’t see her? What if—
The car slowed, the headlights splashing over her. The vehicle’s flashers
came on as the driver pulled to the edge of the highway directly behind the spot
where she’d gone off.
She saw a man climb out of a large SUV and began to cry with relief. Life
could change in an instant, she thought again as she watched the man heading
toward her through the storm. He appeared to be large, nice looking, wearing a
cowboy hat and dressed in formal western attire as if he’d been to a party
somewhere.
Olivia “Livie” Hamilton had no reason not to believe the man had stopped to
save her.GIVEAWAYThe publicist is offering 1 print copy of WILD HORSES by B. J. Daniels to a lucky reader of this blog. Become a follower (via GFC, Bloglovin, Facebook, Twitter) and leave a comment including your email address for a chance to win. The contest is open to US residents only.

Friday, February 27, 2015

DEPRESSION AND YOUR CHILDA Guide For Parents And CaregiversAuthor: Deborah SeraniPublished by: Rowman & Littlefield, September 2013Hardcover, 232 pagesAdd it on GoodreadsBuy it on AmazonAbout the bookSeeing your child suffer in any way is a harrowing experience for any parent. Mental illness in children can be particularly draining due to the mystery surrounding it, and the issue of diagnosis at such a tender age.

"Depression and Your Child" gives parents and caregivers a uniquely textured understanding of pediatric depression, its causes, its symptoms, and its treatments. Serani weaves her own personal experiences of being a depressed child along with her clinical experiences as a psychologist treating depressed children. Current research, treatments and trends are presented in easy to understand language and tough subjects like self-harm, suicide and recovery plans are addressed with supportive direction. Parents will learn tips on how to discipline a depressed child, what to expect from traditional treatments like psychotherapy and medication, how to use holistic methods to address depression, how to avoid caregiver burnout, and how to move through the trauma of diagnosis and plan for the future.

Real life cases highlight the issues addressed in each chapter and resources and a glossary help to further understanding for those seeking additional information. Parents and caregivers are sure to find here a reassuring approach to childhood depression that highlights the needs of the child even while it emphasizes the need for caregivers to care for themselves and other family members as well.My reviewUp until recent years, children were believed to be unable to experience depression. Studies suggested that kids and teenagers didn't even have the emotional capacity or cognitive development to experience sadness, helplessness, and despair. Still to this day, childhood is generally associated with the idea of carefree innocence and when our little ones go through mood changes, we tend to consider such changes just as emotional conditions typical of that age (the terrible twos and threes, puberty, the teen age years), or simply as phases our children will eventually outgrow. On the contrary, children and adolescents are as much capable of mood swings, negative thoughts, and hopelessness as adults are. They even tend to show their emotional disorder in more varied and complex behavioral ways - irritability, cranky mood, physical symptoms, self-attitude. Today, we have evidence that not only children, but even babies can experience depression. Statistics are alarming:- In the US alone, 4 percent of pre-school aged children, 5 percent of school aged children, and 11 percent of adolescents meet the criteria for major depression.- Depressive disorders affect approximately 11.2 percent of thirteen-to-eighteen-year-olds, but only one in five teens receives help, due to lack of information, lack of awareness, or fear of social stigma. Unfortunately, depression in adolescents is frequently confused with that angst that accompanies those years. We expect it, we take it for granted, we dismiss it as a passing phase. Then tragedy strikes.- Depression-induced self-harm (a deliberate behavior in which a child inflicts physical harm on her body to relieve emotional distress) occurs in 15 percent of children and teens. - Suicide is the third leading cause of death among children age 10 to 24. It is a significant risk for anyone affected by a mental illness, and it is exponentially higher for children with depression. Depression And Your Child by Deborah Serani instructs parents and caregivers in the normative patterns and stages of children development, offers the keys to identify the illness, and helps spot potential concerns: the section covering diagnosis and medical treatments, both traditional and holistic in their approach, is extensive and highly informative. Possibly, the most insightful, articulated, and compassionate parenting guide I have ever read. While robust in its clinical references to diagnosis and treatment of depression in children and adolescents, Serani's book never fails to be engaging and approachable. The author's expert and eloquent voice is infused with kindness and reassuring hope: it really adds a much needed quality of humanity to an often overlooked and underestimated issue. 5 bright stars!

***Review copy graciously offered by the author in exchange for an unbiased and honest opinion

About the authorDr. Deborah Serani is the author of the award-winning books "Living with Depression" and "Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers" published by Rowman & Littlefield. What makes her books so unique is that she knows what it's like to live with depression personally, and how to treat it professionally.

Dr. Deborah Serani is an adjunct professor at Adelphi University and a go-to media expert. She writes the "Ask the Therapist" column in Esperanza Magazine, and blogs for "Psychology Today." Dr. Serani's interviews can be found in Newsday, Womens Health and Fitness, The Chicago Tribune, Scientific American Mind, The Associated Press, and affiliate radio station programs at CBS and NPR, just to name a few.

Dr. Serani has also worked as a technical advisor for the NBC television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

THE WITCH HUNTER'S TALE

About the book

Sam Thomas takes readers back to Puritan England with midwife Bridget Hodgson, hailed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as “one of the most fascinating detectives in contemporary mystery fiction.”

Winter has come to the city of York, and with it the threat of witchcraft. As women and children sicken and die, midwife Bridget Hodgson is pulled against her will into a full-scale witch-hunt that threatens to devour all in its path, guilty and innocent alike.

Bridget—accompanied once again by her deputy Martha Hawkins and her nephew Will Hodgson—finds herself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse against the most dangerous men in York, as well as her sworn enemy Rebecca Hooke. As the trials begin, and the noose begins to tighten around her neck, Bridget must answer the question: How far will she go to protect the people she loves?

Praise for the Midwife Mysteries Series

“Sam Thomas has created one of the most fascinating detectives in contemporary mystery fiction—a crime-solving, wealthy, widowed midwife in embattled 17th-century York, England. . . . Bridget is as fascinating, fun and fierce as ever.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer on The Harlot’s Tale"Besides making his heroine a plausible sleuth, Thomas conveys the challenges of midwifery without clumsy exposition.” —Publishers Weekly (starred) on The Harlot’s Tale

“As pleasurable as his mystery is, the true thrill here is Thomas’s lively portrait of 1644 York and his unique heroine.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer on The Midwife’s Tale

“A briskly plotted historical mystery starring a pair of brave, tenacious, intelligent women who take no prisoners and make no apologies.” —Lyndsay Faye, author of Gods of Gotham

“Thomas is a historian by profession and it shows in the wealth of detail with which he recreates the city of York amid the turmoil of the English civil war.” —Rhys Bowen, author of the bestselling Royal Spyness series

“A heart-stopping page-turner coupled with a gritty and realistic portrayal of two strong and contrasting woman characters vividly depicted against the backdrop of the besieged city of York.” —Cora Harrison, author of I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend

“Thomas’s fiction debut is packed with fascinating information about a midwife’s skills and life during the English civil war. The ingenious, fast-paced mystery is a bonus.” —Kirkus Reviews on The Midwife’s Tale

Buy the Book

About the Author

Sam Thomas is an assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He has received research grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Newberry Library, and the British Academy. He has published articles on topics ranging from early modern Britain to colonial Africa. Thomas lives in Alabama with his wife and two children.

Writer, artist and speaker, Tamara Branch serves up 40 bite-sized chapters on how to build unshakable self-confidence, honor your life, and shine bright in the world, in ITGIRL4LIFE: How To Bring Out Your Special Something & So Much More. Packed with sage advice, life-changing insights and affirmations to help you soar, ITGIRL4LIFE offers ideas, tools and principles that you can reference and build upon, supporting you in becoming your best. Get ready to fall in love with your own wisdom, beauty and strength.

My thoughts

In the uplifting and invigorating words of author and motivational speaker Tamara Branch, what you believe about yourself affects what you choose, and what you become. In order to be able to take charge of your own life and make a difference, you need to stop depending on the judgement and approval of others and start loving yourself, explore your potential, and value your uniqueness. You will then be able to see your greatness, understand the purpose of your presence on this Earth , and build a life that is authentic, fulfilling, and productive. “Trust yourself. Your values and instincts will guide you to what feels right for you.”

ItGirl4Life is an inspirational handbook for “every girl who ever had a doubt” about their sense of self and worth. Although not fashioned as a traditional self-help guide (bite sized chapters and lack of a fully developed section of exercises and practical advices may suit readers who don’t have the opportunity to sit down for long reading sessions, but may not prove satisfying for readers who look for a more comprehensive and detailed roadmap to solidify their goals), Branch’s handbook remains a motivational tool of remarkable power. Its upbeat and fresh format will greatly appeal to readers in their teens, but I would recommend it to a young female audience as well as women of all ages who would like to provide their loved ones with an accessible mantra and self-confidence boost. 4 stars out of 5

***Review copy graciously offered by the author in exchange for an unbiased and honest opinion

“I believe in the power, beauty, strength and amazing potential of girls. I believe girls deserve to feel extraordinary. I believe that when girls shine their light, they are unstoppable!”

- ITGIRL4LIFE by Tamara Branch

Tamara Branch is from New York, born and raised in the Bronx. She is thrilled to share her first book release, ITGIRL4LIFE, kicking off the ITGIRL4LIFE self-esteem movement to empower girls to stand up, stand out and shine bright in the world.

Tamara has worked as a professional model and actor for almost two decades. She strutted down the runway for designers Calvin Klein, Donna Karen and Christian Dior, acted in a few independent films, co-hosted PBS New York’s education series, “What’s up in Technology” and appeared T.V. commercials and print ads for Levi’s, Old Navy, Hershey’s, Colgate, Kellogg’s Special K, Revlon, Hanes, Nike and many others. A Penn State alumnus and lifelong student of personal development, Tamara is deeply passionate about uplifting the human spirit.

After graduating from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, studying under Deepak Chopra, Dr. Andrew Weil and some of the top health and wellness experts in the world, she was inspired to raise the bar on her own ‘self care’ and support others in living more vibrantly. She is an abstract artist and teaches a dynamic dance class, where she gets to fuse her varied background, having trained in everything from jazz, ballet and modern to Afro-Caribbean and Salsa.

Tamara was recently asked to become a Female Visionary Author guest blogger for The Brave Heart Women Global Community. She’s a SAG/AFTRA member since 1998, a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is represented by Abrams Artists Agency.

Tamara currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband of seven years and offers ITGIRL4LIFE workshops to assist girls on their self empowerment journey.

Monday, February 9, 2015

In her intuitive's guide to finding and keeping love, I SEE YOUR SOUL MATE (St. Martin's Press, 2012, Amazon), life coach Sue Frederick claims that there are no outside circumstances that can keep us from finding true love: love is the energy we swim in, the fabric of our divine universe, the very essence of our DNA. "Heartbreak and loneliness occur not because of what anyone else has done to you, not because you're unattractive, and not because there aren't enough single people your age....Only YOU stand in your way." We experience pain and loneliness when we forget our life mission and stop embracing the person we came here to be. It's when we walk on the life path we were meant for that our chances to find true love enhance dramatically, and the best way to cross paths with The Right One is reclaiming our True Self.

Whether your approach to love and life is a fatalistic one (my 'other half' is somewhere out there and if I can't find him/her I'll be doomed to eternal unhappiness) or you believe in your ability to control your life and to find happiness in yourself rather than in that one person the universe has supposedly intended for you (because nobody can 'complete' us but ourselves; there is a multiplicity of people and experiences that can help us achieve that inner wholeness and chances are one of them will suit us and our life circumstances better than anyone or anything else), this time of the year inevitably turns into a wake-up call, nudging us to wonder if, when, where, and how we can attract fulfilling love relationships back in our lives.Harper Collins is offering a few ebook deals for this Valentine's Day week, in the self-help, relationship, guide category. Grab these offers before they expire: they may help you turn your love life around and certainly won't hurt your wallet. Here they are:

THE SOULMATE SECRET will show you how to take control of your romantic destiny by using the Law of Attraction. Finding true love is possible for anyone at any age if you are willing to prepare yourself, on all levels, to become a magnet for love. Arielle Fordknows this from experience. She used the techniques in this book to bring her soul mate into her life at age forty-four. They were engaged three weeks later. The ebook is available for only $ 1.99

Love. We want it. We need it. We pay it homage with songs and poems and great works of art. And when we lose it, there's no pain as intense or excruciating. As the editor of a column about love for the New York Times, Daniel Jones reads thousands of stories about people's intimate relationships. In LOVE ILLUMINATED, he teases apart this mystifying emotion that thrills, crushes, and sustains. HarperCollins is running a ‬promo on this one: purchase from their website before February 10 and get up to 25% off.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

I have a very fascinating guest today on the blog! Please, meet Colin Falconer, author of The William Shakespeare Detective Agency series - historical mystery lovers, fans of crime fiction and Elizabethan history, you’re in for a treat. Read on and enjoy our author interview.

Q. Welcome to Mina's Bookshelf, Colin! I have to say, I read your biography and I thought that your life must be the main source of inspiration for your writing. So adventurous! Can you share with us your background and the 'hows' and 'whys' you became an author of historical fiction?

A. The why started with my Aunty Ivy when I was a little boy. Every week she took the train down from London to visit with us in (what was then) rural Essex, bringing with her a collection of Classics Illustrated comics. She must have picked them up in the markets in London. There were some Beanos and Victors mixed in, but I threw them out. My treasure was the cartoon versions of some of the world’s greatest literature. I read all of Jules Verne in an afternoon. By the time I was eight I had read Moby Dick, Doctor Jekyl and Mister Hyde, The Moonstone, The Black Tulip and Ivanhoe, was familiar with most of the major works of Alexandre Dumas (Père), Mark Twain and William Wilkie Collins and had even read most of Homer’s Odyssey (although I never found out how it ended because the last page had been ripped out). I don’t think Aunty Ivy knew she was giving me primers for my future career, for no one in my family had ever used their hands for doing anything other than making pies or fixing corner cupboards.

But those comic books were vital to me. I was an only child and though not particularly bookish – I was then, and still am, a sports tragic – it nurtured in me a thirst for great stories painted on broad canvas. So Aunty Ivy did not just give me the gift of something to read when it was raining too hard to play football. She helped stir a nascent imagination and at the same time gave me an undying thirst for travel and maybe doing adventurous things as well.

These little gems of comics also made me want to time travel, because many of the places I was reading about no longer existed. The only way I could revisit them was to recreate them in my head. Imagining them onto a page was the next logical step.

Q. Let's talk about your latest release, The William Shakespeare Detective Agency: The School Of Night. How did the idea of a detective cousin of William Shakespeare come about?

A. I love Shakespeare and I wanted to write about his life but you have to be careful there, you're messing with an icon of literature if you try and imagine things about him that didn't happen. Yet no one at the time thought of him as an immortal - he certainly didn't think of himself that way. It made me wonder how his family saw him - and so his bumbling, brawling, well-intentioned cousin was born. I also wanted to write some stories that gave an outlet for a touch of humour in an historical setting, while also giving a window on Shakespeare's actual life. Whew!

Q. Do readers need to be apasionadoes of Shakespeare and Elizabethan history to fully appreciate this series? Which elements (history, mystery, suspense, romance, crime) did you mix in to keep your readers engaged in the story?

A. I write about all periods of history and my approach is always the same: even if you don't know anything about the history - I often don't before I start writing and researching - it won't matter. The story comes first. You may learn interesting stuff about the period - indeed I hope you will - but my first job is to keep you awake at night turning pages.

Q. Are there any other books in the works?

A. The second book, The Dark Lady, has just been released. There will be 12 in the series by the time I'm done. I just need the time to write them! I have my print contracts to fill as well. But I love writing about Big Will and I have his future all mapped out for him. Poor bugger, if only he knew the trouble I'm about to cause him. I'm sure God must have had the same sadistic sense of humour when he planned some of the twists and turns in my own life.

Q. It's impossible for me to talk about Shakespeare without stirring the pot about the controversy on his real identity. Real or imposter? Which side are you on?

A. Oh I think some people need to get a grip. Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare. Ask Ben Jonson.

Q. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever had to do to research material for a book?

A. I don't know the craziest. None of it seems crazy when you're doing it, just interesting. The bus across the Taklimakan desert for SILK ROAD was a nightmare. Venturing into certain dingy parts of Mexico City and VeraCruz on my own for BLACK WITCH was perhaps ill advised. Pamplona and the Death Road - that was just for fun. I have much crazier stuff planned for the next 12 months.

Q. If you could be a Shakespearean play or character, who would you be?

A. Mercutio. (I actually think it would have been more interesting if he got the girl.)

Q. Your favorite line from a Shakespeare's play.

A. "Give me my Romeo. And when I shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night

And pay no worship to the garish sun."

I absolutely agree with you on Mercutio getting the girl, Colin! It’s been such a pleasure to have you on the blog. Thank you for your time and best of luck with everything :)

About the book

Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Cool Gus Publishing

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Pages: 168

Series: The William Shakespeare Detective Agency

Genre: Historical Mystery

“My name is William Shakespeare. No, not that Shakespeare; and no jests please, I’ve heard them all. I’m the other one, the ne’er do well cousin, the loafer, known to family and friends as the dunce, the one who could not recite Cicero or Horace, who could never be as good as his clever cuz, the one who has just come to Bishopsgate from Stratford with silly dreams in his head and a longing to make something more of himself than just a glover’s handyman.”

What he finds in London is Lady Elizabeth Talbot, who is willing to pass a few shillings to this blundering brawler if he will help her find her husband. Poor William does not realize the trail will lead to the truth behind the death of Shakespeare’s great rival, Christopher Marlowe – or to a lifelong love affair with a woman far above his station.

Each book tells the story of William’s adventures as England’s first gumshoe, set against turbulent Elizabethan politics; of his romantic pursuit of the impossible Elizabeth Talbot; while charting the career of his up and coming dramatist cousin, the bard of Stratford, but just Will to his family.

Buy the Book

About the Author

Born in London, Colin first trialed as a professional football player in England, and was eventually brought to Australia. He went to Sydney and worked in TV and radio and freelanced for many of Australia’s leading newspapers and magazines. He has published over twenty novels and his work has so far been translated into 23 languages.

He travels regularly to research his novels and his quest for authenticity has led him to run with the bulls in Pamplona, pursue tornadoes across Oklahoma and black witches across Mexico, go cage shark diving in South Africa and get tear gassed in a riot in La Paz.

He currently lives in Barcelona.

For more information please visit Colin Falconer’swebsite. You can also find him onFacebook or follow onTwitter.

About Me

Mother of two amazing kids, Miss A™ entertainment columnist, avid reader bordering book-fetishism. Books are my childhood friends, my stress-relief therapy, my wings to fly to faraway lands and distant times, my source of knowledge and inspiration. I simply adore them and consume them aplenty. My "book love affair" began in my early teens with the Bronte sisters, Dickens, Austen, Poe, Conrad, and James. My taste in reading was shaped by those masters and still today, when I read fiction, I appreciate the dark tones, the Gothic touches, and the psychological insight typical of those classics.